End of big plastic coolant pipe broke off (!)

[madmax25]

So a few weeks back I was pulling into a parking lot and noticed the coolant was a little hot on the gauge. Opened the door to hear steamy, gurgly, sizzly noises coming from under the front. the entire contents of the cooling system emptied onto the ground in about 7 seconds. Oh dear.

What happened was the brass insert that is glued into the front end of one of the long coolant pipes broke off! I pulled out the brass piece and clamped the radiator hose right onto the plastic pipe to get me home (i've got that macho "don't need a tow unless it's missing a wheel" disease), and i've been running it like that for a month now. Not a drop of coolant has leaked so far, but I'm concerned that without the brass end the pipe might warp over time. also the brass had that nice little rib to keep the clamp from slipping off.
Do you guys think it'll be fine? I really don't feel like replacing the whole bloody pipe unless I have to...
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-Elliot

'88 Vanagon GL "Big Red"
'90 Westy

[PDXWesty]

You do need something in there to keep the hose clamp from distorting the pipe. GoWesty makes this kit for the situation. Maybe it's something you could copy or buy.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=3643&category_id=79&category_parent_id=
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[sbclayton]

Until you get the GoWesty kit - or TK's stainless pipes - clean off the corrosion from that brass insert (mine is steel) and tap it back into the waterpipe with a rubber face mallet. Seat it as well as you can manage. Clean the outside of the plastic with some 60 grit sandpaper, rotating it around the plastic to roughen the plastic and make a good gripping surface. Dry and clean the inside of the hose and reattach it to the waterpipe using two hose clamps. I used the screw type and recheck the tightness often.
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Steve - Tampa Bay Area
Original Owner (12/1990) of
NavDog, a 91 Carat

Enlightenment came when I realized that any time in my life I was having fun, it was somehow connected with owning a Volkswagen.

[danfromsyr]

We used a small SS rivet to keep the insert in the plastic.
it lands under the rubber hose and behind the clamp so it doesn't leak. and actually offers a slight lump to help retain the hose on the pipe.

[chimivee]

On two of my vans I've done this band-aid repair, clamping the hose directly to the pipe. They have held for a few years and thousands of miles.

I cut the pipe end off clean, and used a galvanized coupler so I could add some new hose to get a good fit on the [now shorter] pipe and not stretch the rad hose. Double clamped the new hose onto the pipe with fat hose clamps, not TOO tight.

Not endorsing such foolery... just sayin'...
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-James
86 Syncro Westy, etc

[madmax25]

thanks for the feedback. I'll take all of this into consideration and land somewhere in the middle of these answers
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-Elliot

'88 Vanagon GL "Big Red"
'90 Westy

[Wildthings]

When I bought my Syncro used back in the early 1990's, the end of one of the tubes was already broken off. Not knowing what was there originally, I just glued on a small ring of pipe the create a bump to keep the hose from coming off. Still in use the same way today and has never given any problems, though it will get replaced with SS tubing soon.

[GBA 88West LA]

you can heat up the plastic pipe with a hair fryer or heat gun to make it easier to work with itll expand, thats what caused the insert to pull out in the first place you cant run it with no insert for extended time the plastic will collapse eventually
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88 Westy GL Vanaru 07 2.5 EJ25/AA Trans/oiling plates, 1.14 3rd-.77-4th..solar powered cabin